The document discusses two examples of animal species that were brought back from near extinction due to conservation efforts following the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. It describes how the bald eagle population dropped to less than 1,000 in 1963 due to hunting, habitat destruction, and the chemical DDT, but rebounded after DDT was banned and bald eagles were protected. It also explains that grizzly bear numbers declined from over 50,000 to around 1,000 today, but grizzly bears in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks are protected under the ESA.

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ANIMAL SUCCESS STORIES
In 1973, the United States government passed into law the Endangered Species
Act (ESA). Its three major goals were: 1. To protect plants and animals from
extinction by listing them as endangered; 2) to preserve the habitat of these
species; 3) to help populations of listed species recover. Because of these
conservation efforts, many animals have been brought back from near extinction.
Here are two such success stories.
Bald Eagle
It is fitting that we begin with the story of the bald eagle, the national symbol of
the United States. There was an abundance of bald eagles in North America
before the arrival of Europeans, numbering as estimated half a million birds. By
1963, however, the population had dropped to fewer than 1,000. Hunting was
certainly a major factor in this decline, as was the destruction of habitat. But the
biggest factor was DDT – a chemical widely used in insect sprays. It had a
damaging effect on the eagles’ eggs, making their shell so thin so that they broke
easily and exposed the frail baby birds inside which die soon after.
The 1972 ban on DDT was the single most important factor in the revival of the
bald eagle. Being listed as an endangered species gave birds additional protection.
Bald eagle populations are now carefully monitored, and the baby eagles are
raised under human protection later to be raised in the wild. Thanks to these
efforts, the number of eagles in the United States has grown markedly and the
birds can be seen in many national parks. In August 2007, bald eagles were
removed from the ESA list.

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Grizzly bear
Another classic symbol of North American wildlife is the grizzly bear. Before the
Europeans arrived, more than 50,000 grizzlies wandered the American West.
Today, due to hunting and habitat destruction, that number is closer to 1,000.
Furthermore, because grizzly bears have babies at a very low rate, it takes many
years for the population to grow.
Most of the grizzly bears in the United States, excluding Alaska, live in
Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. As grizzlies are still protected by the ESA,
hunting them is illegal. As bear populations grow, it becomes very important to
prevent encounters between humans and bears: 20 to 40 bears are killed each
year to protect the safety of humans. People living in grizzly bear habitats are
encouraged not to leave garbage lying around in case bears are attracted to the
smell, and parks put up signs warning people not to stray off the path. Visitors are
also warned not to alarm any bears they encounter.